Obama to hold news conference at 2 p.m. EST

By JENNIFER EPSTEIN

12/20/2013 10:07 AM EST

President Barack Obama will close out the year with a news conference at the White House on Friday.

He is set to take questions at 2 p.m. ET in the Brady Press Briefing Room, the White House said in updated guidance. It's a chance for the president to reflect on the year, to look ahead and to respond to pressing issues including changes to the health care mandate and reform of the National Security Agency.

Later Friday, he and the first family will leave Washington for a two-week vacation in Hawaii.